Graveyard

The National Monuments Service's description

Situated on a slight rise with river to the E. The ecclesiastical remains consist of a medieval church (OF014-029008-), possible abbey church (OF014-029001-), early Christian cross-slabs (OF014-029003-) and a bullaun stone (OF014-029005-). The Abbey which was built near the site of an Early Christian monastery founded by St. Canoc in 492 is now in a ruinous condition consisting of a long rectangular church built with roughly coursed limestone rubble with no architectural features evident. The interior of the abbey and sacristy are used as burial plots with a burial vault added to the W end of the S wall. There were several architectural fragments lying in the collapsed rubble along the walls of the church. A small graveyard was associated with the long rectangular church (OF014-029001-) which had a small rectangular sacristy attached to its NE corner. Most of the cross-slabs (OF014-029003-) which date from the 8th/11th-centuries (Harbison 1972, 206) came from this excavated area. 200 decorated slabs were discovered during this excavation and are described by Kendrick (1939 Vol. 69, 1-20). (Cooke 1875, 340-43; MacAlister 1908, 323-27; Crawford 1913, 362-5; Crawford 1918, 178; Fanning and O hEailidhe 1980, 17-19)

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Offaly' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1997). In certain instances the entries have been revised and updated in the light of recent research.

Date of upload: 23 May 2011